The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-11-11
HUMAN LONGEVITY.
A. Measure of the True Civilization OF
"a Eape,

of true civilization or improvement of the
race? 1t Is certainly an evidence of con-
formity to the divine laws of life and health
which reward right action with happiness,
health and long life. l cannot, therefore,
think the study of longevity unimportant.
To every one of us it is vital question, for
death is regarded as the greatest calamity,
and is the seyerest penalty of angry enc
mics or of outraged laws.
1t is our duty as well as privilege to per-
feet our constitution. and see that it does
not wear out too soon, that we are not
prematurely called away from our duties
And bring it as serious charge against
modern systems Of eduaatiop, that they
tend to degenerate mankind, to impair the
constitution, and to shorten life. That we
should not submit to thig, but should all
aspire to live a century or longer, IL we
have fair opportunity, | seriously main
tain, and that my readers may be inspired
with like determination | will quote ex-
amples,
III w. lOlldUStI . ItCEiiipph9 tttAlfl-
vus, !" republished in 1744 find the fol-
lowing statements: st is very remarkable
that not only the sacred writers, but all the
ancient Chadean, Egyptian and Chinese
authors speak of the great ages Of such as
lived in early times, and this with such
confidence that Xenophone, Pliny ard 9TH
er judicious persons receive their testimony
without scruple. But, to come down to
later times, Attila, King of the Huns who
reigned in the fifth century, lived to 124,
and then died of excess the first night of
his second nuptials 18th one of the most
beautiful princesses Of that age. Piastus,
King of Poland, who from the rank of a
peasant was raised to that CT Q prince, in
the year 1924, lived to be 1876, and governed
his subjects with such ability to the very
last that his name is still in the highest
veneration among his countrymen. Marcus
Valerus Corvinus, a Roman Ccnsal, was
celebrated as true patriot and most ex-
cellent person in private life by the elder
Cato, and yet CorVinus was then upward of
100. IIippocrates, the best of physicians,
lived to be 104, but Aselepiades, Persian
physician. reached $50. Galen lived in
undisturbed health to 104; Sophocles, the
tragic poet, lived to 1870; Democritus, the
philosopher, lived to 10f, and Euphranor
taught his scholars at upward of 100; and
yet what are these to Epiminedes of Crete,
who, according to Theopomus, an unblem-
ished historian, lived to upward of 1871.
| mention these because, if there be any
truth or security in history, we may rely as
firmly on the facts recorded of them as on
any facts whatever. Pliny gives an account
that in the city of Parma there were two of
$50 years of age, three of 1s0, at certain
taxation, or rather visitation, and in many
cities of Italy people much older particu
larly at Arminum, one Marcus Apponius,
who was 100. Vincent Coqueln. q clergy
man, died at Paris in 1864 at 112. Law
James Sands, az Englishman, toward the
latter end of the last century, died at 40,
and his wife at 100. In Sweden it is
common thing to meet with people above
100 and Budbekius aflirma from bills of
mortality signed by his brother, who was
Bishop, that in the small extent of twelve
parishes there died in the space of thirty
seven years 232 men, between 100 and 140
years of age, which is the more credible,
since in the Diet assembled by the late
Queen of Sweden, in 1713, the oldest and
best speaker among the Deputies from the
Order of Peasants was considerably above
100. These accounts, however, are far
short of what might be produced from
Africa and North America, that | contine
myself to such accounts as are truly au-
thentic" All of these instances the doc
tor sustains by reference to his authorities.
To the foregoing he adds the examples OF
teachers and persons who associate with the
young, to which he ascribes great value in
promoting longevity. Thus : "Gorglas,
the master of Isocrates, and many other
eminent persons, lived to be 10S. His
scholar, Isocrates, in the 94th year of his
age published a book, and survived the
publication four years, in all which time he
betrayed not the least failure, either in
memory or in Judgment ; he died with the
reputation of being the most eloquent man
in Greece. Xenophilus, an eminent Pytha-
gorean philosopher, taught numerous
train of students till he arrived at the age
OF 105, and even then enjoyed very perfect
health. and left this world before his abili-
ties left him. Platerus tells us that his
grandfather, who exercised the Office of a
preceptor to some young nobleman, mar
ried woman of 30 when he was III the
Tooth year ofhis age. His son by this mar
rage did not stay like his father, but took
him life when he was 90 the old man
was in full health and spirits at the we'd
ding, and lived six years afterward. Fran
els Seeordo Horigi, usually distinguished by
the name of Huppazoli was Cousul for the
State of Venice in the Island of Scio, where
he died in the beginning of 1902, when he
was very near 115. He married in Scio
when he was young, and being much adj
dcted to the fair sex, no had in all five
wives and fifteen or twenty concubines, all
of them young, beautiful women, by whom
he had fortynine sons and daughters, whom
he educated with the utmost tenderness,
and was constantly with them as much as
-. 1..-:...,, .,,.,,,ld ,Nnrn,it IIa-NaS never